Lesson
by AngelHeartObsession
Summary: Part of my challenge, but stands alone as a oneshot. Theme 96. Lesson: "Matthew has learned enough lessons in love." Has a happy ending, despite the beginning!


**I do not own Golden Sun: Dark Dawn.**

**Theme 96: Lesson**

Matthew has learned enough lessons in love.

How did he learn? He learned through Karis. He didn't even know that he loves her until they met Amiti.

It was obvious that Karis had a crush on Amiti right away. That led to Matthew getting jealous of Amiti, who was semi-oblivious to Karis. Matthew tried to figure out why he he was angry at Amiti, and he realized that he loves Karis. Sadly, he kept it in himself because he didn't want to tell her while she was crushing on Amiti. He wanted to tell her after her crush was over.

Apparently, Karis carried her crush through the entirety of their journey because when Amiti asked her out after the event, Karis said yes.

Matthew was still jealous, and so he kept on telling her that Amiti was going to end up hurting her and stuff like that... which led to them having a fight and Karis storming out. Matthew realized his stupid mistake and went to go apologize to her, but she already left for Ayuthay.

Karis didn't come back for a couple of weeks, and during those weeks, Matthew got his first lesson in love. He learned that the worst type of pain was watching the person you love, love someone else. He didn't even bother trying to go to Tyrell or his father about his feelings, because he knew that nobody would really understand. When he tried to describe the pain... he said that it was like a bomb detonating inside of him. And nobody but him could hear and feel it.

When Karis did come back, Matthew apologized to her, and Karis accepted the apology. When Matthew asked why Karis was gone for so long, she explained that Ayuthay was so far away that she didn't want to just go there for one date. Instead, she stayed there for multiple dates then came back.

Matthew watched as Karis' trips became more frequent and longer, until she was basically just spending half of the year at Ayuthay. Matthew watched, and even though he tried to move on, he couldn't. He learned that there was no past tense of 'love'. He can't move on from his first love. Karis took a piece of him that he could never get back.

Finally, Karis walked up to Matthew really happily and stated, "Amiti asked me to move in with him!"

Matthew tried to keep his emotions at bay as he said, "Did you say yes?"

Karis nodded enthusiastically. Matthew gave her a convincing smile and said, "Congratulations!"

That was his third lesson in love. He learned that he should want Karis to be happy, even though he wasn't the one making her happy.

This time, Karis was the one who visited either Kalay or Lookout Cabin for a week or so. Matthew still kept contact with her, writing to her every day. Well, he only sent some of those letters. The rest were kept in a secret place, never to be found by anyone. Why? Well, because most of them were about telling Karis how much he loves her.

Soon, the letters became more frequent than the visits. Soon enough, Karis just stopped visiting all together. She was too caught up in her love with Amiti.

Matthew got his fourth lesson in love. He learned that if you truly love someone, set them free. Which is what he did with Karis.

One random day, Karis visited Lookout Cabin. She didn't have a travel bag like she usually does. No, she had nothing with her.

"What are you doing here, Karis?" Matthew asked. He was alone in the cabin, so he was the only person there to greet her. Matthew opened the door wider let her in, and Karis accepted the invitation.

Matthew could easily tell that Karis was trying to keep her tears in bay as she said, "I-I'm moving a-away from A-Ayuthay."

"Why?" Matthew asked because he was really curious. Karis looked like she really loved Amiti, and he thought that Amiti was probably going to propose to Karis soon.

He didn't expect her to start to sob. But that didn't stop him from going to her side and pull her into a comforting hug. He started to shush her and said soothing words to her. When she had regained some of her composure, she managed to say, "H-He ch-ch-cheated on m-me." Then she began to cry again.

Matthew continued to comfort her, but on the inside, his mind was whirling and trying to process the new information. Why would Amiti cheat on Karis? Who could possibly be better than Karis? He was at the point that he was going to go to Ayuthay himself and beat Amiti up, but he was pretty sure that he would get in trouble for hurting the prince. Besides, Karis needed him right now. And he would stay by her, and help her heal.

* * *

Someone eventually did find his stash of letters that Matthew had hidden. And it was none other that Karis.

"What are these, Matthew?" Karis asked, bringing the letters to where Matthew was reading. He looked up to see her holding the love letters, and he immediately hid his face in his book. "Th-they're nothing, Karis."

"Can I look at them?"

Matthew was about ready to drop his book. He maintained some of his composure and tried to sort out the inner fight going on within him. One part of him said, _'Just let her read them! You've hidden your feeling for a long time already!' _Another part of him said, _'Don't let her read them!'_ He was about to listen to the other voice when Karis began opening the first letter out of the many that were in there.

Matthew stood up abruptly and said, "I'm gonna go out and train." He knew he didn't really need to, but it was the best excuse that he could come up with. He walked to the door, and just as he was about to leave, he stopped and made the possibly best or worst decision of his life. "You can read the letters, Karis." Then he continued on his way.

He got to a clearing, and began lashing out his Psyenergy on the earth and boulders around him. Anything to clear his head.

Meanwhile, Karis looked at where her best friend was before returning to the letters. She knew that his strange action had to do with these letters, and she was going to find out what.

She took out the first one on the pile and opened it. When she began reading it, she tried hard not to gasp.

_Dear Karis,_

_It's funny. I keep on writing to you every single day, yet I only send one letter a week._

_Why is it that I keep on writing letters that I'll never send? Why do I keep on doing this to myself?_

_Oh yeah, it's because it's a release for me. It's so that I could pour out my feelings to you without anyone knowing about it._

_I really should stop writing letters. I really should, but it's like a drug. I can't stop, and I probably won't stop until I die._

_I just want you to know that I love you. And it hurts worse than any injury that I had before. I still love you, yet you love Amiti. I try to move on, but I can't. Karis, you're my drug. You're probably going to drive me insane, and I'll still love it._

_I want you to be happy, Karis. Even though I'm not the cause, I still want you to be happy. And if you are happy with Amiti, then so be it. I'll probably never move on, but I won't force you to love me._

_Love,_

_Matthew_

Karis was in shock. Her eyes drifted to a corner of the page, and she was shocked to find out that it was dated the day before she came back to Lookout Cabin.

She snapped out of her faze, and looked at the letters that were all addressed to _her_. And now she has the chance to read them, and she is going to take full advantage of it.

Letter after letter, Karis read them all. Every single word was engraved into her memory. Even when Tyrell, Garet, and Issac came to the cabin from wherever they were, she still read. Even when it was late into the night, she still read them. And when it was close to midnight, she finished the last letter (or first, depending on if it was by the order that it was read or the order that it was written), and she came to a realization.

She loves Matthew.

Even though she should be dead tired, she was full of energy. She had to find Matthew and tell him. It was only then did she realize that Matthew never came back. Which means he was still out there.

Karis jumped out of her seat and went to go get some sleeping bags. She was going to find Matthew, and she was sure that he would be too tired to come back to the cabin. So they'll just camp for the night.

Karis finally found the sleeping bags and ran outside. She knew that there was a clearing that had a ton of boulders that Matthew and his father used to practice with, and so she went there.

She was kinda surprised at the empty clearing. There was a ton of rubble, but no boulders. She would have never guessed that Matthew was the one who did all of this, but she knew he did it. Especially since he was lying in the center of the now empty clearing and probably passed out or asleep.

She walked to where he was, and she concluded that he was awake, judging by his breathing. She shook him awake and Matthew got up, rubbing his eyes and blinking the sleep from his eyes.

"Karis?" Matthew said sleepily. Karis only nodded. She then said, "I read all of the letters."

That got Matthew awake. He sat up straight, and before he could say anything, Karis placed her lips onto his. He was a bit shocked, but he still kissed her back.

When they finally broke for air, Karis said, "I love you too."

Matthew grinned and kissed her again. When they broke apart, they got the sleeping bags ready and got in them. They got into them and said goodnight to the other.

Before Matthew fell asleep, he added something to lesson four: If you love someone, set them free. If they return to you, then they are yours.

**This is the longest oneshot that I have ever written for this challenge. Yippee!**

**Everything for my challenge is on my profile.**

**Please review!**


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